A Woman's Pain
by HandsomeAngel
Summary: Lucy with menstrual cramps . . . What else do I need to say?


**Yup, this is my first Fairy Tail Fanfic. Sorry to all those who are waiting for **_**All in the Head **_**to be updated. I have a project that I need to finish, which is worth 25% of my mark! And I had to start really late cause I couldn't find the right book. **** But I still managed to find time to read/watch Fairy Tail, which is my new obsession. XD So I thought of a story to write for Fairy Tail and thought, "**_**I just have to write this.**_**" Actually I thought of it while watching Fairy Tail episodes and dying from menstrual cramps. The first part of watching Fairy Tail episodes? Pure bliss. The second part of dying from menstrual cramps? Not so much. Lol~ Anyways, thanks for reading! Sorry to all those that I have not answered through the pms. Just way too busy. I'm barely finding time for this – it's 12:42 am right now when I'm writing it. But please presume that **_**All in the Head **_**is on a short hiatus. Sorry for the inconvenience~ But thanks for understanding!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. But I sure as hell wish it was real. (I think Lin's got competition from Natsu! O.O)**

Lucy unwillingly opened her eyes. Already she could feel the pangs of a woman's worst nightmare: menstrual cramps. Groaning, she got up and struggled into the washroom, quickly brushing her teeth, trying to ignore the pain. She filled up the tub with hot water before slipping out of her clothes and into the tub. Lucy closed her eyes in relief, "_Honestly, only taking a hot bath gives me any relief when these menstrual cramps hit . . ._" She ran over her options of what she should do. She really didn't want to leave the bath that eased the ache, but she knew it wasn't a practical choice. Besides, if she stayed at her home all day, Natsu, Gray, Happy and Erza would definitely come to check on her and if they walked in on her taking a bath . . . She didn't even want to go there. "_Well, that just makes my choice, doesn't it._" She couldn't stay at home because those four would come to her home. "_I guess I could just let them come, but I really don't think I could deal with them in such a small space. If I go to the guild, then I'll have more space. On top of that, Mira-chan might have something for me to ease this pain . . ._" Lucy sighed. Something told her that today was going to be really hectic. She reluctantly got out of the tub, deciding to get into her clothes before the effects of the hot bath wore off and she had to deal with the ache again. She swiftly put on her usual clothes before going over to the kitchen, considering her choices. Lucy knew better than to drink coffee when she was dealing with these cramps. She swiped an apple from the table and decided to get going before the cramps came back full force. With any luck, she might be able make it to the guild before then. "_But better safe than sorry,_" Lucy grinned for the first time that day and grabbed her key, "Open the Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!"

Plue appeared with a jump, "Puun!"

Lucy laughed, "Hey there, Plue. Listen, I have a really bad stomachache cause of . . . some 'circumstances', but if I start to hurt a lot, I need you to go to the guild and get one of the guys, kay?"

"Pun!"

Lucy smiled, "I'll take that as a yes. Now let's go before Mother Nature attacks again!"

"Pun!" With that, Plue followed Lucy as she speed-walked on her way. She couldn't go too fast, but light exercise was okay.

"_Hm . . .This apple is actually helping,_" Lucy noted, "_I guess I should remember that for next time . . ._"

"Lucy-chan~ Be careful not to lose your balance!" An elderly fisherman called out to her.

"I know~" Lucy answered back absentmindedly. She could already see the guild, though it was pretty hard to miss with such a huge sign. She smiled subconsciously, her eyes gazing at her second home. The guild had always felt more like a home than the Heartphila mansion – especially after her mom had died. Wincing as the pain started flowing back, Lucy remembered with a slight laugh about how her mom would joke even while in pain. "_Alright! Mama could smile through this! Then I will too!_" She pushed open the doors to the guild, walking over to the counter where Mira-chan was, trying to keep the slight drag out of her step.

"Hey, Lucy," Mira-chan smiled brightly at the blonde girl.

"Hey, Mira-chan," Lucy attempted to grin back, but Mira-chan could tell the difference.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Mira-chan frowned, "Did something happen?" Ever since the Phantom incident, Mira-chan had been worried that Lucy's father might make another move. Even after Lucy had made up with her father, Mira-chan still felt a bit protective. After all, the white-haired woman saw Lucy as a blend between a daughter and a little sister.

"Nothing," Lucy tried to wave it off, "Just Mother Nature being evil again."

"Ah," Mira-chan instantly understood, "I think I have a drink that will dim it a little."

"That'd be nice," Lucy smiled thankfully.

"You rest your head here. I'll be back with that drink in a jiffy," Mira-chan strode off to find the drink.

"Thanks," Lucy called after the motherly woman before resting her head on her arms, curling up slightly to ease the ache. She closed her eyes, "_Maybe I can go to sleep . . ._"

"Ice brain!"

"Dragon breath!"

Lucy mentally groaned. "_Maybe not . . ._"

"You guys arguing again?" Cana laughed at Natsu and Gray's bickering, "What was it about this time?"

"Natsu laughed at Gray, saying he was scared of Erza," Happy answered.

Elfman shouted into the midst, "A true man talks with his fists!"

Levi giggled, "Looks like this is going to get heavy."

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

"Make it stop . . ." Lucy begged as the noise got to her. Normally she would just yell at them, but at the moment, the pain was just way too much for her to do anything except groan in pain.

"Here you go, Lucy," Mirajane placed the drink beside the blonde girl, who shot a grateful smile at the white-haired woman before taking the drink.

"Eh?" Cana noticed the drink Lucy was sipping, instantaneously recognizing it due to her vast knowledge of alcoholic drinks, "Isn't that drink stronger than what you usually have, Lucy?"

Mira-chan smiled sympathetically, "Lucy's having _those_ pains." This immediately got all the girls' attention.

"How bad are they?" Erza suddenly appeared.

If Lucy hadn't been so caught up in the pain, she would have probably shrieked from the surprise. Lucy glanced over at Natsu and Gray, only to see them in buddy-buddy mode. She giggled lightly, "_It's so funny how they can get into buddy-buddy mode so fast when just a few seconds ago, they had been at each other's throats._"

"Lu-chan?" Levi gently poked her friend's arm.

"Eh?" Lucy turned to her friend, "Yeah? What is it?"

"I asked how bad your cramps are," Erza repeated.

"Oh," Lucy grimaced at the topic of the pain, bringing it back to her focus. She had been trying hard not to think about it since that made the pain seem a lot less, "It feels like something is trying rip out of my stomach . . ."

"Ack," all four girls cringed at the thought, quite acquainted with the feeling.

"Hey! What's going on?" Natsu came over, curious what all the fuss was about. Elfman, Happy and Gray weren't far behind him.

Gray noticed that all the girls were hovering over Lucy, who didn't look too good, "Hey, Lucy, are you okay?"

"She's having . . . woman pains," Mira-chan tried to explain it without having to say it outright.

Of course, being men, they didn't get it as Gray, Natsu and Elfman chorused, "Eh? I don't get it."

At the same time, Happy exclaimed, "Oh! I get it!" The room echoed with silence for the first time.

"Wow . . . Outdone by a cat," Levi sweatdropped.

"Honestly! That's incredible, you guys," Cana chortled. Even Lucy giggled.

"Men really are dense sometimes," Mira-chan mused.

A thunderbolt seemed to strike Elfman, "_Men . . . are stupid? . . ._"

"So what's wrong with Lucy?" Gray was slightly irritated that Happy understood, but he didn't.

"Lucy is having menstrual cramps!" Happy told them – a bit too cheerfully for the situation at hand.

"Don't yell it out!" Lucy tried to glare at the blue cat, but couldn't due to the pain.

"Happy, you really are amazing!" Natsu grinned at his best friend.

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered.

"So~" Natsu looked at the others, "What are 'menstrual cramps'?" Everyone did a face-plant right then and there.

"He's so stupid," Mira-chan sighed.

"The stupidest of all men," Cana nodded.

"A disgrace to men more like it," Elfman defended his gender.

"Aye," Happy agreed, making the others wonder whose side the blue cat was on.

"On the contrary, all men are dim-witted," Levy argued, "Natsu's just the most dim-witted of all."

"Don't drag all men into this just because Natsu's being an idiot," Gray objected to the females' comments.

"What was that, Captain Underpants?" Natsu glared at the ice mage.

"I was just saying the truth about how you're the stupidest person in the world, Ash-for-Brains" Gray returned the glare.

"Say that again!" Natsu dared the other man.

"Sure," Gray shot back, "You are the stup–" But he couldn't finish the sentence before Natsu's fist sent Gray flying. The ice mage jumped back on his feet, "Why you bastard!"

"Come on!" Natsu went into a fighting stance.

Lucy watched them with mirth, "_Even though it's loud and it doesn't help decrease the pain, for some reason, it makes me feel like I can deal with this ache . . . as long as they are by my side . . ._" The idea of them helping with her pain made the image of the Fairy Tail mages as nurses pop into her mind – something that was way too easy to imagine. Lucy couldn't stop the laughter that spilled out of her, making everyone look at her in surprise.

"Lu-chan?" Levy approached the girl worriedly, but Lucy just shook her head, still laughing. Then she let out a gasp as she kneeled over, eyes watering.

"Lucy!" Mira-chan's eyes widened in alarm. Natsu and Gray heard Mira-chan's outcry and stopped their fight to look over in concern.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Natsu rushed over to his teammate.

Lucy couldn't help but feel her heart warm despite the pain when she heard Natsu's concerned tone. Honestly, she liked this guy _way _too much if she was thinking about how sweet he was when she felt like her stomach was being ripped apart . . . She brushed aside the thought and smiled reassuringly at the fire mage, "Don't worry. I'm fine." But the strength of her words was pushed away when she let another gasp of pain.

"Don't worry? Like hell I won't worry!" Natsu looked absolutely outraged, "We need to get a doctor fast!"

Lucy tried to protest, but Natsu had already gotten up, "Wait, Natsu–" But before she needed to say anything else, Erza grabbed Natsu's scarf and threw him into the wall before calmly glaring at the boy.

However, seeing his teammate in pain seemed to have given Natsu some sort of courage as he got up immediately and glared back at the warrior mage, "What the hell, Erza? What are you do–"

"I know why Lucy is in pain," Erza silenced Natsu with her words, "It's something that some women have to deal with and Lucy is one of them. She has to deal with them every month as do the rest of us."

"Then why aren't you guys in pain right now?" Natsu asked, having calmed down after finding out that Lucy wasn't in mortal danger, "_Thank god . . ._"

Mira-chan took over, "Because all of us get it at different times of a month. However, there are some times when it's especially bad and Lucy's going through one of those times."

"But why does it happen to the women, but not the men?" Natsu kept up with his questions. The Fairy Tail mages glanced at each other. This conversation was getting really awkward, really fast.

"Natsu must have never found out about this stuff since he was raised by a dragon," Levi realized, making everyone understand why the dragon slayer was so clueless.

"Well, might as well explain it," Cana muttered to herself before attempting to describe a woman's monthly cycle to Natsu, "You see, at one time in a month a woman starts to bleed–"

"Bleed? Lucy's bleeding?" Natsu went back into his frantic mood.

Everyone shot a glare at the Fairy Tail alcoholic. Cana simply shrugged helplessly, "Don't blame me!"

But Natsu wasn't done yet as he hurried over to Lucy, "Show me where you're bleeding! I'll bandage it–"

"Shut up, you pervert!" Lucy shrieked as she punched him away. Natsu looked at her in shock and confusion. She sighed to herself, "_I guess he's just trying to help . . ._" She looked up with a warm smile, "I promise you, Natsu. I'm fine. I won't be leaving you guys just yet."

Natsu's eyes focused on her completely as though seeing through her. Lucy shifted uncomfortably with a blush. Natsu watched her every movement, every expression before finally sighing in defeat. "Okay . . ." Lucy rewarded him with a huge smile, but cried out as an unexpected wave of pain hit her.

"Lucy!" Everyone rushed towards her.

She smiled at them, though it lacked its usual shine, "Don't worry. It was just unexpected. That's all." Natsu frowned worriedly as he gazed at his teammate.

"Maybe those cramps really _are_ that bad," Gray muttered, having seen the entire ordeal that Lucy had endured. Elfman and Happy could both only nod their heads in silent agreement.

"_They finally get it,_" Levy rolled her eyes.

Cana looked at the blonde girl with a frown, "Maybe you should head home. You're not going to get any rest here."

Lucy smiled faintly, "Yeah, I think you're right."

Levy hopped off her stool, "I'll take you home!"

Lucy answered with a nod and a thankful smile, "Thanks."

"Will you be okay?" Mira-chan asked anxiously.

Lucy gave a thumbs up, shooting them a weak grin, "Don't worry. I'm a Fairy Tail mage. I can handle it!" Everyone smiled at the girl's words. She may have not arrived that long ago, but she definitely had the Fairy Tail spirit. However, they couldn't help the frown that came about when the blonde winced from the pain despite her best efforts to hide it. Flashing a grin at them, Lucy left with Levy to go home and hopefully recover.

xxxxxxxxxx

"_Hm . . . Looks like I'm finally by myself,_" Lucy looked around her unusually silent apartment. It had taken her forever to convince Levi to leave. Though she had to say, knowing that her friend cared so much about her really made her feel thankful for all the things she had. "_Except menstrual cramps,_" she winced as another throb hit her. Lucy closed her eyes and counted to ten in Latin. Her mother, Layla had used to do it, saying that the pain eased when she did that and had often made Lucy do with her as well, not that the blonde mage had minded. Sure enough, the pain seemed to fade away. Lucy silently sent her thanks to her mother before getting up to make some tea. That was another thing her mother had done to ease her pain. It was a special kind of tea, chamomile tea with ginger root, that Layla had taught her daughter to make so that the young girl would not feel useless when her mother was in pain. Lucy smiled, tears balancing on her eyelids as she heated the kettle. However, it wasn't because of sorrow, but a slight sense of joy instead. The memories her mother had left behind always filled Lucy with warmth. Even in Layla's last moments, she had made sure that some love remained in that moment. Lucy would never know what good deed she had done to deserve a mother like Layla . . . and probably never would. Lucy chuckled lightly, "_I guess I could say the same thing for my friends . . ._" They had always been there for her, not even deserting her when the Phantom Guild had come after her. She had a feeling that the only reason she was able to be by herself at the moment and relive her memories was because the mages had thought she needed privacy. Lucy giggled, "_Or at least the girls had . . ._" She really couldn't imagine Natsu thinking of something like that, even if she had fallen for the idiotic fire mage. Lucy smiled wistfully as she remembered something else her mother had said about the tea.

_Flashback_

"_Mama? Is this tea really that special?" An eight-years-old Lucy asked as she watched her mother pour water into a pot and turn to chop some ginger root._

"_Yup," Layla smiled cheerfully as she dropped the ginger root into the water before heating it, "When the womanly cycle begins, there is sometimes pain for some woman. When that happens, this tea works like magic!"_

"_Why haven't I started my womanly cycle yet?" Lucy questioned, a little forlorn that she wasn't like her mother._

_But Layla just chuckled, clearly amused by the child's worry, "Don't worry, my dear. It's simply not your time. You have much to learn and once you are ready, your womanhood shall come forth. And then you'll become much, much more beautiful than you already are."_

"_Really?" Lucy looked up at her mother with hopeful eyes._

_Layla responded light-heartedly, "Really. Though I must say, it's quite hard to imagine you getting even prettier." _

_Lucy smiled brightly in delight, "Will I be as pretty as you, Mama?"_

_Layla smiled at her daughter's words, "Probably even prettier!"_

_Lucy's eyes widened, "Is that even possible, Mama?"_

_At this, Layla burst into laughter, "Yes, it is, my dear."_

"_That's incredible," Lucy was absolutely awestruck, making her mother laugh one more time._

"_You really are something, my dear," Layla's eyes danced with merriment as she gazed at her daughter. The mother and daughter continued their conversation as Layla continued making the tea. After five minutes, Layla removed the pot from the heat and added a chamomile tea bag, which she let steep for about 10 minutes. After that wait ended, Layla helped Lucy strain the tea so they could remove the chopped ginger. After pouring each of them a cup, Layla allowed her daughter to add a bit of honey to both of their cups to add a hint of sweetness. Lucy looked at her tea questioningly, "How many times do we have to drink this a day to help with the month woman pains, Mama?"_

_Layla considered the question for a moment before answering, "About 2 to 3 times a day to get the best effect."_

_Lucy sipped her tea, brightening up at the tea, "It's really good!"_

"_I'm glad to hear it," Layla smiled softly at her daughter's elation._

_Lucy looked at her mother with radiant eyes, "This tea is really magical, isn't it, Mama!"_

"_That it is. In fact, it's said to bring luck in love," Layla winked._

"_Really?" Lucy looked at her mother with amazement._

"_Yup," Layla nodded, recalling the ironic name of the merchant guild where she met her husband: "Love & Lucky"._

"_I hope I find someone for me," Lucy smiled at her mother with an innocent joy._

_Layla's eyes softened as she reached out to stroke her daughter's hair, warmth and hope gathering within her as she whispered, "I know you will . . ."_

_End of Flashback_

By the time that Lucy has finished remembering the memory of her mother teaching her about this tea, Lucy has already finished making it. She walked over to her couch, lying back while still propping herself up enough to drink her tea. Slowly but surely, the pain eased away as she placed her tea on the table. Tired from today's exertion, Lucy closed her eyes in relief and drifted off to sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Mhm," Lucy stirred from her gentle slumber. Through her hazy mind, she could vaguely hear a familiar voice, "_Who is it . . ._" She tried to brush it off and go back to sleep, but the voice wouldn't let her go just yet.

"Lucy, wake up already, you weirdo!"

"Who are you calling a weirdo?" Lucy shot up to glare at whoever it was. She was unsurprised to find a grinning Natsu looking back at her. "_I really should not be used to this . . ._"

"You're finally up!" Natsu looked completely gleeful to see his teammate awake.

"Yeah," Lucy smiled at Natsu's expression, "So what are you doing here?"

"Mirajane and Erza forced me to come because I wouldn't stop worrying," Natsu scratched his head sheepishly.

Lucy felt her cheeks warm at the idea of him caring about her. Part of her wanted to shout at him for giving her false hope, but the other part wanted to embrace with all her might for making her feel so happy. Rushing to push away her thoughts, she changed the subject, "Where's Happy?" At first something had seemed off about Natsu's appearance, but now she realized that the blue cat's absence is what was missing.

Natsu however simply shrugged, "Mirajane told me that I had to go alone and that Happy had to stay behind. I don't know why though."

Natsu may not know why, but Lucy sure as hell did. She groaned at Mirajane's constant matchmaking tries, "_Good lord . . ._"

Natsu however mistook Lucy's groan as a sound of pain as he jumped up to look at her frantically, "Lucy! Are you okay? Do you need the doctor? I'll go ge–"

Lucy clamped her hand over his mouth to hush the fire-mage, "I'm fine. I was just annoyed by something that Mira-chan was trying to do."

The dragon slayer relaxed considerably after he heard that Lucy was alright as he settled back on the floor, but curiosity quickly took the worry's place, "What is she trying to do?"

Lucy blushed lightly and turned away from the boy's enquiring eyes, "N-nothing!"

"Eh~" Lucy's embarrassment just piqued Natsu's interest even more, "Come on! It's obviously not nothing!"

"It's girl stuff! Shut up!" Lucy tried to silence him with a glare, but it wasn't quite as effective with a red face.

"Ah~ Tell me~" Natsu whined.

Okay, now Natsu was going from kind of cute to _extremely_ annoying. "I'm not telling you and that's final," Lucy crossed her arms sternly.

"But Lucy~"

"No." Lucy started to stand, but she was barely off the couch when an abrupt stab of pain sent her reeling to the floor.

"Lucy!" Natsu's eyes widened as he saw his teammate collapse, but was able to catch her in his arms before she hit her head, "What's wrong?"

"I-I'm okay. It's just looks like the tea wore off," Lucy laughed weakly to try and calm Natsu to no avail.

"Tea? What tea?" Natsu asked, hopeful for a way to help the blonde girl in his arms.

"It's on the kitchen counter in a pot. It eases the pain that comes with this monthly cycle," Lucy directed feebly.

"I'll get some for you," Natsu gently set Lucy on the floor. The fire-mage practically ran into the kitchen. It was a miracle that he didn't run into the wall. It barely took him a few seconds to find the pot, quickly pouring some into a cup before dashing back, once again performing a miracle by not spilling any of the tea. He saw Lucy curled into the fetal position and kneeled beside her, sliding an arm around her back and pulling her up into his arms once again. With the hand holding the cup of tea, Natsu took the tea into his own mouth.

Lucy looked at him inquisitively though it didn't come out as such when she was grimacing in pain, "Natsu, wha–" Her question was silenced when Natsu pressed his lips against her mouth, slipping the tea into her mouth, "_Oh my god! Natsu's . . ._" Lucy's eyes widened as she comprehended what was happening, going into too much shock to even move. She subconsciously swallowed the liquid being given to her through Natsu's mouth. She vaguely thought about how hot Natsu's mouth was before going back to the question of why Natsu's mouth was against hers in the first place. She was still sheel-shocked when Natsu pulled away from her.

"Lucy?" Natsu's puzzled voice broke through her haze. Lucy looked up at the fire-mage, more than slightly unsurprised to find him looking completely clueless. Of course, she was more than slightly annoyed for the same reason.

"You– We–" Lucy struggled to find the words to say but decided not to complicate for the sake of Natsu's simplicity and her remaining sanity, "Why did you do that, Natsu?"

"Because you couldn't drink it."

Lucy almost face-palmed herself before taking a deep breath to calm herself before she throttled the boy, "_I mean_, why did you choose that way to make me drink it?"

"Well," Natsu took a thoughtful expression, "Igneel taught me that you do CPR when someone can't breathe so you can get air into them through your mouth so I figured I could do the same with the tea in your case." Lucy didn't know whether she should be surprised that Natsu could actually use her brain or be irritated at his density. She chose to be irritated.

"Well, you could have chosen another way, you know!" Lucy exploded, sitting up with a glare directed at the dragon slayer.

Natsu looked taken back at the sudden outburst, completely not understanding why his teammate was mad, "Well, it worked, didn't it?" Lucy started to respond when she realized that in reality, her stomach cramp really had stopped, making her clamp her mouth shut. Natsu however continued to look at her expectedly, "Well?"

"Yeah . . . I guess . . ." Lucy reluctantly admitted but refused to back down, "But it wasn't because of your stupid liquid CPR! It was because of the shock!"

As usual, Natsu was ignorant to the insult, "Well, then we have the solution to your stomachaches!" The oblivious dragon slayer jumped onto the windowsill and looked at her over his shoulder, giving her a thumbs up, "Next time you're in pain, just call me and I'll fix it for you."

However before he jumped out of the window, Lucy called out to him, "Wait a minute! You realize what you're saying that you're going to do, right?" Though knowing him, he had no idea that he was implying that every time she had monthly pains, he would kiss her.

Natsu, on the other hand, looked at her as though it's obvious, "Of course, I'm helping my nakama."

Yup, he did not get it. Lucy groaned, "That's not what I meant . . ."

Of course, Natsu wouldn't be Natsu if he understood. But he brushed it aside and grinned at her, "I'll always help you, Lucy." With that, he jumped out the window, leaving a blushing Lucy behind.

The blonde groaned as she lay down on her back on top of the sofa, facing the ceiling. She sighed, closing her eyes to keep tears from falling, "_Even though I know he doesn't love me, he just doesn't seem to be able to stop giving false hope, does he?_" Her lips gently curve up into a small smile which was mixed in with a hint of sorrow, "You'll fix the pain in my stomach, but how will you fix the pain in my heart . . . especially when you're the cause of it?"

However, unbeknownst to her, Natsu is still outside her window listening. His heart aches when he hears her pained voice. He closed his eyes, trying to figure out what to do, "_If I go now, Lucy will still be all wound-up. Perhaps I'll wait for a little while._" Unlike what most people thought, when it concerned his friends, he could actually use his brain. But then he smirked to himself and leaps to the ground, heading home, "_Don't worry, Lucy. I'll be back._"

xxxxxxxxxx

Lucy was sitting on her sofa, now able to read her favourite novel, Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken in peace since the pain of her menstrual cramps had faded away. What had always surprised her was that she had already included this book among her favourites before she had even joined Fairy Tail. But after meeting Natsu and falling in love with him, it had most certainly bumped up to the spot of her favourite book – she probably didn't have to say why. Lucy looked up when she heard her doorbell ring, "_Eh? Who could that be?_" She strolled over to the door, confused as to who would be visiting her at this time. After all, it had to be at least 10 pm right now. Tentatively, she opened her door, "Who is it?"

"Hiya, Luce," Natsu grinned at her.

Lucy gawked at the boy, completely shocked. Finally she managed to speak, "Why are _you_ at my door?"

"Why? Shouldn't I be here?" Natsu looked offended.

"No, no. It's not that," Lucy denied quickly, "_Though to normal people, the answer would be 'no' . . ._"

"Then why do you look so surprised?" Natsu questioned, no longer affronted, but curious instead.

"Well, it's not that I was surprised that you had come, but more like I was surprised that you came through the door," Lucy amended, "_Actually the idea of it being Natsu or one of the others didn't even go through my mind. I guess I'm so used to their stupid antics that anything else seems too weird . . ._" Lucy laughed lightly at her unusual sense of normalcy as she closed the door behind Natsu.

Natsu raised his eyebrow, "What is it? What's so funny?"

"Well, aren't you filled with questions?" Lucy teased, "Don't you know that curiosity killed the cat? Even Happy could tell you that."

"Lucy~" Natsu whined.

"Alright, alright," Lucy chuckled at Natsu's tone, "I was just thinking about how my sense of what is normal and what isn't is so warped thanks to you guys."

"Do you mind?" Natsu asked. Lucy paused for a moment. She yelled about them invading her private space, destroying everything on their missions, being too noisy and the list goes on. But did she really mind? She didn't need to even think about it: she knew the answer.

"No, I don't."

Natsu beamed at her answer, "Good to know!"

Lucy smiled back at the fire-mage as she walked towards her living room before asking her own question, "So what are you doing here, Natsu? It's pretty late."

"Nothing much." To be quite honest, she had expected an answer like that, yet there was something different in his tone, which piqued her interest. However, nothing could have prepared for what she saw when she turned around.

Natsu was grinning dangerously at her. And it wasn't one of those dangerous I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass grins either. It was something different – something _completely_ different. The devious look in his eyes made her gasp as her stomach lurched in a manner that wasn't as uncomfortable as it was unfamiliar. "Natsu?" Natsu's grin just grew wider at the soft whisper that gave away her inner confusion. Her eyes widened when he began to walk towards her with a predatory aura. She backed away, calling out his name again, "Natsu?" But eventually she was pressed against the wall with Natsu's body perilously close, his arm braced against the wall, trapping her. His heat radiated off of him though she knew that it wasn't the only reason her body was heating up, her breath coming faster.Natsu leaned in close to her ear, smirking as he felt her body shiver in response to his hot breath. His voice dropped to a low and husky whisper as he spoke to her.

"Well, you're the one who asked how I would fix the pain in your heart."

"Wait, you were list–" But before Lucy could finish her sentence, Natsu's lips were against hers. Lucy's body tensed with shock as she tried to process what was happening. When she finally realized, she attempted to push Natsu away, completely and thoroughly disbelieving. However, Natsu wasn't interested in letting her go as he grabbed her two hands in his other hand, a firm hold on them, not letting them go. She tried to pull her hands away from his grip, but when his lips pressed firmer against hers, she lost all sense, instinct taking over as she returned the kiss. Natsu deepened the kiss as soon as she responded, seeming to have waited for her to relax before he went on. He let go of her hands to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. Lucy brought her newly released arms around his neck, intertwining her fingers in his hair. Natsu ran his tongue along her bottom lip before giving it a sharp nip, making her gasp. Natsu took the opportunity to move his tongue into her mouth, running it along her own tongue. This earned a moan from Lucy, arousing Natsu even more as he growled in response. Eventually they had to pull apart for air, where they remained in each other's arms, their foreheads touching.

After a few moments of silence and enjoying each other's presence, Natsu smirked as he took in her flushed appearance, "Really, Lucy. For someone who acts so 'experienced', you really are innocent, aren't you."

Lucy blushed even more and smacked him across the arm. "Oh shut up!" This just made Natsu laugh even more, embarrassing Lucy even more. She pushed him away to go back to her sofa, trying to compose herself again. It didn't help her Natsu's heat exuded off of him and surrounding her. "_Damn hormones . . ._" Lucy cursed in her mind as she felt him close behind her. She tried to ignore her feelings and picked up her book.

"Which book is that?" Natsu looked at the novel, having never seen it before.

"It's 'Dragon Actually', my favourite book," Lucy almost smacked herself when she realized what she had told him. She glanced at Natsu, hoping to God he didn't get it. There he sat on her sofa, smirking at her. Yup, he got it. Clearly someone has it in for her today. Blushing with embarrassment, she turned away to walk to some other seat and read.

"Hey, where you going, Luce?" Natsu called out to her.

"Somewhere where I can read in peace," Lucy shot him a pointed glance.

"You can read right here," Natsu offered.

Lucy raised her eyebrow, "Are you honestly going to let me read in peace?" Her voice clearly showed she didn't believe it.

Natsu patted the seat beside him, "Promise."

Lucy studied him sceptically, ". . . Alright . . ." Natsu beamed in return to her answer, to which Lucy couldn't help but smile. "_Maybe he really will do as he says . . ._" She thought as she moved to sit down beside him, but before she could take her seat, Natsu grabbed her arm and jerked her down: with Lucy landing on his lap. . . . Yeah, never mind that promise. "Natsu!" She yelped when she felt him secure his arms around her waist so she couldn't escape.

Natsu chuckled, "Come on, Lucy! I want to hear you read me the story!"

Lucy raised an eyebrow, "Really? You? Want me to read you _this_ book?"

Natsu shrugged, "Why not? If it's about a dragon, then it must pretty cool, right? It's probably filled with a lot of awesome scenes!" Lucy blushed as she recalled what kind of 'awesome scenes' her book was _actually_ filled with. Natsu looked at her worriedly, "What's wrong, Luce? Are you sick again?"

Lucy hurriedly shook her head, tongue-tied due to embarrassment, "_Thank god that Natsu's become oblivious again!_" She quickly changed the subject before Natsu could catch on, "Fine, but no bothering me when I'm reading!" She knew that she would feel the repercussions of this decision later – especially at the specific 'parts', but she would think about that when those parts came. For now, she focused on reading her favourite book in the arms of the man she loved. As she began to read, a smile graced her lips, a silent thought reaching out to the starlit heavens that guard her:

"_Looks like you really were right about that tea . . . Ne, Mama._"

**WOOHOO! FINISHED MY FIRST FAIRY TAIL ONE-SHOT! XXDD Anyways~ I hope ya guys liked it. Actually at first, I was planning on leaving it at when Lucy says, "**_**You'll fix the pain in my stomach, but how will you fix the pain in my heart . . . especially when you're the cause of it?**_**" But then I decided that I really didn't want something depressing to be my first Fairy Tail fanfic. I think I made a good choice there, don't you? *thumbs up***

**Okay, few things to note:**

**A) 'Dragon Actually' really is a book by G.A Aiken and it is my favourite. Surprisingly I started liking before I had even heard of Fairy Tail. Though it is recommended, I warn you all that it is a little bit 'steamy'. ;P**

**B) Yes, this tea recipe does work for cramps. However, I did make up the part that it bring good luck for love. But hey, who knows? It might actually be true! Anyways, in case any of you guys wanted the recipe and when I wrote it out in the story it wasn't clear enough, I have put down the recipe below. So go ahead and check it out! (Tell me if it works. I'm planning on testing it out next time! Lolz~)**

**Gather your ingredients for your tea to relieve menstrual cramps. You will need water, chopped ginger root, and chamomile tea. You can find the ginger root in the produce section of most grocery stores and the chamomile tea in the coffee and tea aisle. The ginger will help to ease your menstrual cramps and the chamomile will help you to relax.**

**To start your tea for relieving menstrual cramps, bring some water to a boil in a pot. Add the ginger root and cover the pot. Let it simmer for about five minutes.**

**Remove the pot from the heat and add a chamomile tea bag. Recover the pot and let the tea steep for about 10 minutes.**

**Strain the tea to remove the chopped ginger. You can add honey to your tea to relieve menstrual cramps if you would like a little bit of sweetness. You can drink two or three cups a day to get the best effect.**

**Anyways, thanks you for reading 'A Woman's Pain'. See ya next time! :D**


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